King Charles III has arrived in Guyana, marking the second leg of his Caribbean tour. He was greeted at Cheddi Jagan International Airport by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who personally came to the airport to welcome him. The visit is a two-day state visit at the invitation of President Ali.
Guyana and Britain share 60 years of bilateral relations, which will be marked at a State Reception in the garden of State House. The King is also scheduled to inspect a Guard of Honour formed by the Guyana Defence Force. The Band of the Guyana Defence Force will play the national anthems of both nations.
President Ali has been a vocal advocate for formal British acknowledgement and compensation for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. However, it is understood that the issue will not be publicly raised during this visit, with the focus intended to be on the present and future. The King and President Ali have developed a warm personal relationship, largely through Charles's long-standing passion for environmental conservation. The monarch has supported efforts to protect Guyana's rainforests, and President Ali appeared in Charles's documentary, "Harmony," to express his gratitude for the King's work.
Also present to greet the King were Ambassador Ivan Evelyn and British High Commissioner Joseph Fisher. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also flew in for talks related to the visit. Guyana is Britain's largest trading partner in the Caribbean.
King Charles's visit to Guyana follows two days in The Bahamas, the first leg of his tour. In The Bahamas, he paid respects to fallen soldiers at the 'Flamingo Monument,' commemorating Bahamian Marines who died in 1980. He also visited conservation projects at Bonefish Pond National Park, highlighting the need for climate-resilience initiatives, and met young athletes at The Bahamas Boxing Academy. He was presented with a T-shirt depicting himself as a boxer.